


Celestial Influence IX: The Journey Begins

by Aweebwrites



Series: Celestial Influence [9]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Disasters, Dragons, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Angst, Minor Character Death, Missions, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 11:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21243332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aweebwrites/pseuds/Aweebwrites
Summary: Their mission has started. They have to find and resurrect the 6 gods of Ninjago. Simple enough... Right? Right?Not right.





	Celestial Influence IX: The Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Took me forever but here it is! One more piece to go and I have a feeling it'll be almost two as long as this one.

The new team of ninja ran through the sea of sand with Nelson fearlessly leading them, the only thing on his mind was his mission. His first Ninjago saving mission! He shook his head. No time to get excited. He doubts this will be as easy as it sounds. After all, they had some pretty epic powers right now. If they don't want to be found, they won't be. At least, not easily.

"Do you even have any idea where we're going?!" Gene yelled from the back, already getting winded.

While he does tire easily, his second wind can keep him going for a surprisingly long time.

"To the Monastery! There has to be a clue on where to start." Nelson yelled back, running faster.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Antonia says, coming to a stop.

The group came to a halt, panting heavily as they stood in a circle.

"The Monastery doesn't have any hints for us." Antonia told Nelson who looked surprised. "What? You didn't check when you got there to see?" She asked, arching a brow.

"Um. No?!" Nelson sputtered. "If they didn't want to be found then that's that for me. Now we have no choice so it's different. Did you check-"

"Sensei Wu's room? Yes." Sally confirmed and Nelson gaped.

"The scroll room!" Nelson finished, looking horrified at the prospect of searching their Sensei's room.

"First place I've checked." Gene admitted and Nelson looked at him surprised.

"Ok who hasn't searched the Monastery for signs of the gods?" Nelson asked and only he and Jake held up their hands. "You too Brad?" He asked, surprised.

"It's not everyday you meet actual gods ok! Course I went looking!" Brad huffed, crossing his arms.

"The term 'god' is still debatable." Gene pointed out.

"What does that matter? Point is, the Monastery has no hints for us. We're at a dead end. Let's not forget the Overlord won't be satisfied with destroying just New Ninjago City. He wants to wipe out all of Ninjago. The City, the Alliance and Samurai X will only hold them off for so long." Antonia reminded.

"It may be true that the Monastery is no help right now but all's not lost." Gene says, adjusting his glasses with a sly smirk. "The ninja becoming what they are now is a scientific phenomenon so naturally, I'd like to know why. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to wrap my head around it. So instead, I decided to interview them. That of course meant-"

"Could you get to the point already? We don't have the time!" Brad snapped and Gene hpared at him but huffed, knowing he was right.

"I'm 80% sure on where two of the ninja are." Gene told them and they gasped.

"Where?!" Nelson yelled, shaking him.

"Stop shaking me and I'll tell you!" He yelled, getting dizzy and Nelson let him go. "Three villages nearby the Forest of Tranquility have tales about a fierce god of fire living in the heart of the forest. It's said to be guarded by the god's pet: a four headed beast. Going into the details, I'm positive that's where Kai is. On the other hand, I've gone into the known history of one Zane Julien and came across a scarcely known tidbit that his father, Dr. Julien, created him in the Birch Forests. That and considering the decade long round the year snowfall in the area, it's not hard to guess he might be there." He told them.

"We have to get to Kai!" Jake blurted out, feeling excitement coursing through him.

"That's not very logical." Sally spoke up and they looked to her. "It would be best to start with Zane, wouldn't it? The fastest way to the Forest of Tranquility is through New Ninjago City and the Overlord is currently busy there. The Birch Forest is closer and more direct. That and Zane would be more helpful with tracking down the others than Kai." She told them and they all considered it.

"Sally's right. Zane would be our best bet. We need logic right now, not brawn just yet." Nelson says and Jake looked disappointed but he understood. "We still have the problem of transportation. Running all the way there isn't practical and it's time consuming." He says in thought.

"I guess that team surprise I planned for a few days from now comes in handy." Gene spoke up and they all looked at him confused. "Come on. Luckily we aren't too far." Gene says, taking off in another direction.

They all shared a look before following after him.

_____

"Hey wait. This junkyard in the middle of the desert…" Nelson says as they walked through the rusty sign. "I think I heard about this place before…" He says, looking around.

It's clearly abandoned, the old motorhome's door all but falling off.

"This was where the master of lightning was raised." Gene says as he ventured in past him. "Jay's parents lived here but they died of natural causes five years back. Not a lot of people knew or cared." He says, going towards the mobile home and walking inside.

Nelson was surprised to hear, sad even. If they really haven't come out of hiding this whole time then, Jay doesn't know. His eyes widened at that.

"Then-"

"He's not here." Gene says as he came out, a remote in hand. "What? Do you really think I haven't checked?" He huffed.

"What's with the remote?" Brad asked, walking over to look at it.

"Observe." Gene says then pushed the only button there.

There was a rumble and they looked behind the caravan to see something rising up. They all gapped once it came into full view, not expecting this.

"Is that-"

"The Destiny's Bounty?!" Jake yelled, cutting Sally off.

"The one and only." Gene grinned then motioned for them to come along. "Though to be fair, this isn't the original thing. The ninja updated it a bit at least. This is the version the city made and the ninja used during the Oni invasion. It had a lot left to be desired as it comes to more modern technology but Sensei Wu put me in charge of renewing it. While the mechanical upgrades are complete, the appearance isn't quite there yet. It will have to wait until after we help save Ninjago however." He explained as they used the rope and wooden ladder to climb aboard.

"This is awesome! We should be able to reach the Birch Forest in no time!" Jake says with a wide grin as Nelson ran up to the wheel.

"We can awe at it later. Right now, we need to step on it." He says, grasping the wheel but then Gene cleared his throat.

"Have you forgotten you don't know how to fly the ship?" He pointed out to their leader who scratched the back of his head.

"Right." Nelson says, stepping aside for Gene.

He then took the wheel, pressing a button on the barrel of the wheel that created a curved holoscreen before him with a map.

"Here's to hoping nothing goes wrong." Gene murmured then started ignition, the thrusters shifting, pointing down to lift the ship off the ground, high into the air as he turned it in the correct direction of the forest.

He then pushed the wheel forward, pressing a button on one of the wheel handles as he did, allowing the ship to blast forward.

"Woah!" The others yelled, grabbing onto the railings at the sudden speedy take off before they walked over to where Gene was.

"How long until we get to the forest?" Nelson asked Gene as he steered the ship.

"Approximately 10 minutes." Gene told him and Nelson nodded.

"Alright. We get in, find where Dr. Julien's house is, find Zane then get out. Simple enough." Nelson nodded to himself.

"You're jinxing us." Sally told him as she looked over the controls and screens. "We're going god hunting. No part of that is going to be simple or easy. If it was then someone else would have found them ages ago. Don't think we're the first to go looking." She pointed out.

"You have a point there." Nelson admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "Still, we have to be as quick as we can be." He says as he walked over to the railings.

"The faith of Ninjago rests on us finding them after all." He whispered, the wind ruffling his short hair as he looked out at the terrain ahead.

____

"Man I wish I brought a jacket." Brad says as his teeth chattered together from the cold of the Glacier Barrens they were now flying over, the Birch Forest just ahead.

"Better get used to it. The Birch Forest isn't exactly small and we'll be searching it on foot." Gene told him and he sputtered.

"On foot?! Why not use the Bounty?! Shouldn't that be easier?! You know, eye from the sky and all?" Brad protested.

"Not in this case. Dr. Julien's place is camouflaged, made to blend in with the trees I've heard. If that's the case then spotting it from above would be virtually impossible." Gene says as he came up to the flat area just between the Glacier Barrens and the forest before slowly lowering the ship to land.

"But Birch Trees have generally narrow trunks and branches. The size would be impossible for a human to fit through if they carved into it." Sally says as she looked over the edge of the ship then hopped over, the fresh snow crunching beneath her feet once she landed. "Which means all we have to do is look for a tree thicker than the rest." She says, looking up to where the others were looking down.

"Precisely." Gene says as he lowered anchor then stepped away from the wheel.

"Sounds simple enough." Antonia says as she climbed down the ladder, Jake following right after her.

"But I thought nothing was simple about tracking down gods." Jake says with a frown then shivered once a lightly drifting snowflake landed on his cheek.

"Then again we've never tracked down gods before." Nelson says, waiting until Gene climbed down the ladder before hopping off the ship.

He then blew out a breath, seeing it appear as fog before his face as he looked around at the massive start of the forest. They really do have their work cut out for them.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep and lowly lit, glowing gold eyes opened.

The team froze immediately, their hair standing on end.

"U-uh. Anyone else have the feeling of someone watching them?" Brad asked then swallowed thickly.

"Yeah." Antonia breathed out as she looked around for any signs of life that might be the source but finding none. "Something tells me he really is here." She commented, looking to the rest of the team.

"Now it's only a matter of finding him." Nelson says, chin tilted up stubbornly.

He won't be stopped from bringing them back by some unease.

"We go together. The forest is too vast and cold to split up… Not to mention I think that's what whatever's out there would want." Nelson told them and they all nodded their agreement.

"So where do we go?" Jack asked him.

"Towards the heart of the forest seems like a good place to start. I highly doubt they'd keep their home anywhere near the edges of the forest, especially if it's different from the other trees." Gene suggested and Nelson nodded.

"Straight ahead then." He spoke quietly then took the lead, the others following right after.

The only sound to be heard was the crunching of snow beneath their feet and the occasional gust of wind. The chill of the forest nipped at their noses as their cheeks flushed with the attempt to keep their exposed faces warm. Their hoods were a necessity for their Sensei's survival and none of them had any regrets about losing them, despite the cold.

"A-at least the visibility is pretty g-good." Brad murmured as they looked around, swiping melted snowflakes off his face.

"Yes but it's cold enough to snow, no matter how lightly. We can't stay out here for too long like this. These ninja gi aren't made for cold weather." Antonia murmured as Jake kept his arms wrapped around himself.

"Try not to focus on the cold too much." Sally says as she looked around, trying to spot any odd looking tree.

"E-e-easier said than d-done." Jake mumbled, glad they at least had gloves, no matter how thin.

He tucked his hands under his armpits to keep his fingers warm.

"Do you think he'll help us?" Sally asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course he would! He's a ninja after all!" Nelson says with a frown, confused about her doubt.

"At the very least, only because the Overlord plans on destroying all of Ninjago, not just the city. And they all live here. Unless they can travel out of Ninjago. Then we're just going to warn them so they can leave." Antonia huffed and Nelson stopped in his tracks, whirling around to face them.

"The ninja aren't like that! They would never leave Ninjago in peril! Once a ninja, always a ninja and ninja never quit!" Nelson yelled at them.

"I'm with Nelson!" Jake says, running over to his side. "The ninja are heroes who save Ninjago countless of times! They'll do it again and without hesitation!" He yelled at them too.

Antonia narrowed her eyes at them as Sally and Gene sighed exasperatedly. Brad only rolled his eyes. Before any of them could say anything else, a voice spoke:

"It won't do you any good to go further. Please leave and no harm will come to you." They all tensed at that before Nelson and Jake whirled around at the person standing there.

He certainly wasn't there a moment ago! Something hit Nelson as he looked at the standing male adorning a long pastel yellow jacket with the inner hood lined with white fur pulled down. He also adorned dark blue jeans and brown snow boots also lined with white fur around the top. But that's not what caught Nelson's attention, nor was it that this person was clearly a Nindroid. Not even the tiny robot looking device he held in hand did. It was that, aside from his copper colour scheme in his metal playing and his gold eyes, he looked almost exactly like Zane. A smile widened his face.

"Do you-"

"Step no further." They spoke again once Nelson moved to walk towards him. "I'll only ask once more. Please leave." He says with no hostility on his face.

He looked pretty gentle, even without a smile on his face but Nelson wasn't about to underestimate him.

"We can't leave just yet. We need to find Zane. Ninjago depends on it." Nelson says firmly then felt his hair stand on end once the Nindroid frowned.

"Then I have to make you leave by force." He spoke quietly and the group watched wide eyed as the small device he held in hand glowed blue green.

The glow elongated then, shifting into a gold staff with a blue green orb on top.

"Woah woah woah! We're not bad guys here! Don't you see our outfits? We're ninja you know! The good guys!" Brad yelled as they all took a collective step back.

"Please don't resist else I'll have to hurt you." Was all the Nindroid says then stretched the staff out to them, it's orb glowing.

"Move!" Antonia yelled and they jumped out of the way in time to escape the blue-green orb that appeared where they once were.

"It's best you let me deal with you quickly or he'll awaken and he won't be half as kind." The Nindroid says calmly, even as he darted at them.

"Fast!" Jake yelped, barely managing to escape a blow from the staff, rolling out of the way but the Nindroid kept moving.

"Strong!" Antonia grunted, trying to hold her own against the strength behind the staff he had tried to hit her with.

"Haa!" Nelson yelled as he ran in and kicked at the Nindroid- only for him to virtually vanish from where he once was.

Nelson grunted with wide eyes once a sharp blow hit the back of his neck, leaving him to collapse into the snow, unconscious.

"Nelson!" The team yelled and the Nindroid straightened his posture then the staff glowed.

They watched wide eyed as their leader floated off the ground in a small bubble of the blue-green energy, hovering just below the tree line high out of normal reach.

"We have no choice but to fight." Brad says and they all gritted their teeth but nodded.

"We'll create a diversion. Jake, you see if you can get to Nelson." Gene told them and they nodded once more.

"Ninja go!" Brad, Sally, Gene and Antonia yelled, using their Spinjitzu to tackle the Nindroid.

Said Nindroid backed away from each of their attempts to trap him in their swirling vortexes, maneuvering through the trees to throw them off. Meanwhile, Jake climbed the nearest tree to the orb to as high as he can go without the tall trunk of the tree giving way under his weight. He then glanced across at the orb where Nelson was, still unconscious. Jake looked it over then noticed as a guest of wind blew that the orb bobbed like a bubble. If he could jump on top of it, he could use his weight to lower it and maybe even pop it! He then looked up then had an idea. He climbed higher, keeping his back to Nelson and the orb. Soon, the tree began to lean towards Nelson the higher he climbed. Finally, he was high enough and hanging right over the orb. He grinned then let go- only to yelp when he fell through, landing right on top of Nelson. He blinked as he looked around then paled, realising he was now trapped too. Oh no…

Back with the others, they had finally surrounded the Nindroid, all of them glaring him down.

"Ninja go!" They all yelled, converging on him.

The Nindroid only jumped up, leaving them all to ram into each other and get tossed back. He aimed the staff at them but then lifted his head once he sensed something.

"It's too late. He's awake." The golden Nindroid says then set himself down using his own forcefield.

The group had a moment of dread before a loud caw echoed through the forest. Heavy wing beats sounded then and the ninja all looked up, terrified. The staff reverted into the small, equally golden bot as the Nindroid watched as a large shadow approached. The massive white falcon landed suddenly, breaking trees to make way for its size. It then looked down at them with glowing blue eyes.

"Run!" Brad yelled and they all scrambled to escape but the Falcon was having none of it.

It opened its beak and blasted an icy beam at the closest ninja: Antonia. Instantly, she was encased in a block of ice, frozen mid run. Echo sighed softly then turned away as the Falcon hunted the others- only to stop in his tracks once a hand grabbed his leg.

"Persistent, aren't you?" He asked, looking down at Sally.

"Persistent? Maybe. Logical? Yes." She panted as she looked up at the Nindroid with determined gray eyes. "You didn't even give us a chance or hear us out. Ninjago is in danger! We would have never come here, would have never fought with you otherwise!" Sally all just yelled at him and Echo frowned.

He's heard that story by too many who sought his brother's power for their own selfish ways. He's felt their lies coat over him so many times it was sickening. He's heard it all. Ninjago is in danger, them being new ninja looking for guidance and teachings, strangers who somehow got themselves lost, the return of villains long passed and more. But now, looking at the girl as she stood to face him with chin tilted up defiantly, he felt the need to check her story. He gave a soft sigh then looked at her with overcasted, brightly glowing gold eyes, reaching a hand towards her, letting the rust coloured energy wrap around her.

"Why are you here? What are your true intentions?" He asked her directly.

"Ninjago is under attack by the Overlord returned. He's planning on destroying all of Ninjago and New Ninjago City is already in ruins. Nothing anyone does can stop him. Our Sensei, Wu tried to stop him with the aid of the golden armor and it failed. He gave us this mission, to find all 6 gods of Ninjago to stop the Overlord's reign of destruction and I intend to do so at all costs." Sally spoke, the words pulled right out of her.

The Nindroid's eyes widened. So they were telling the truth.

He looked around, noticing two of her 6 friends frozen and two still trapped in Tai-D's forcefield. The Falcon must be out looking for the last one. Good.

"We must be swift." Echo told her, taking her by the arm and running, Sally struggling to keep up. "Your last remaining friend will serve as a distraction but a temporary one. The Falcon is overprotective of my brother. He will not be willing to let any outsiders close, no matter the reason, no matter if I approve." He told her as she panted heavily, doing her best not to fall or trip.

"Brother? Your brother is Zane?" Sally asked though she could have seen it coming.

He looked almost exactly like him after all.

"Yes." Echo says then looked back once he heard the Falcon's screech of outrage, realising that one of them were missing. "Hurry." He says quickly, running faster and Sally could barely even keep up, resorting to jump running.

Her eyes widened, seeing the thick tree ahead, no doubt that it was where Zane was.

"Waking my brother will not be an easy task. You will be tested, for not just anyone is allowed to wake him. If you fail…" Echo stopped by the tree and opened the door, choosing not to finish his statement.

Sally was scared now.

"I-If I fail?" She asked him and Echo looked her in the eyes.

"Don't fail." Was all he said before pushing her inside.

Sally grunted as she landed in a dark room.

"W-wait!" She yelled, looking back the only source of light closing on her.

It was too late. Echo shut the door and there was only darkness.

Sally gasped as she sat up, explosions rocking the ground as roars filled the air. She looked around with wide eyes, at the dark sky, at the almost completely destroyed buildings around her. New Ninjago City? But how did she get here?! Wasn't she just-

"Sally!" Her head snapped up and she blinked to find herself looking up at Nelson and the others. "Come on! The preschool over there needs our help evacuating!" He yelled over the Overlord's loud, echoing roar and Sally nodded, taking his hand so he could help her up.

They began to run off, Sally feeling oddly disoriented as she did when a loud crash echoed behind them. She looked back wide eyed at where the remains of a building collapsed to where she once was. She was about to turn back but then she spotted something amidst the rubble.  _ Someone _ . She stopped in her trachs, confusing the others.

"Sally! Let's go already!" Antonia yelled at her.

"There's someone in the rubble over there!" She yelled over the chaos.

"I don't see anyone! We're wasting time!" Brad yelled and Sally remained rooted where she was, looking back to where the white hair of an elderly woman was, her hand reaching out.

"But we can't just leave her to die!" Sally protested, eyes wide.

"There's nothing there Sally. I'm looking right now and there isn't a single soul over there." Nelson says as he walked over and grasped her shoulders.

"We don't have time for this! There are actual children in that preschool and the longer we take to evacuate, the higher the chances of the building being targeted by the dragons!" Gene yelled at her. "And even if there were someone in there, that's one life over several! Think logically!" He snapped at her and Sally swallowed.

She knew it was more logical to help them clear out the children there. She could hear them crying from here, hear their fear. She took a step towards them and the group gave a relieved sigh.

"Then I'll go rescue that lady. You guys go clear out the preschool." She told them firmly before running back to the collapsed building, climbing the rubble to get to her. "Ma'am! Are you injured?!" Sally yelled as she looked around for a means of getting her out.

The woman lifted her head, glowing blue eyes stunning Sally.

"Well done." The woman spoke but it wasn't a woman's voice.

There was a moment of disorientation as the landscape changed. Sally blinked once she found herself kneeling in an almost crystal looking space but she knew it was ice. It covered the walls and ceiling- even the smooth floor was ice but she couldn't feel the cold. The ice glistened like gems, reflecting light from virtually nowhere and casting the area in a kaleidoscope of soft colours. She stood up and looked around then blinked once her eyes fell upon a rising in the ground. Her eyes widened once she saw a statue of ice laying on a bed of soft snow, thin ice crystals grown over the figure as protection in elegant styles. She walked forward slowly, her steps echoing in the emptiness of the room. Now that she was standing next to the figure. It was clear who it was: Zane.

That scene must have been her test! She must have passed! She looked at the still statue of ice. But… how does she- The ice suddenly cracked across his face and Sally startles, taking a step back. The crack spread, spider webbing along his entire body before there was silence again. The statue began to glow and Sally watched wide eyed as the pieces of ice lifted away, turning to snow then air as the true figure beneath was revealed. He sat up slowly then after a moment, took a breath of air. His glowing blue eyes opened them and just like that, a light blue aura developed around him that billowed and wavered like mist as tiny snowflakes drifted down and disappeared amongst it. He breathed out softly and Sally shivered, feeling the cold of that small breath stab through her skin like thousands of tiny, icy, numbing needles.

His eyes locked on hers and the iciness of them pierced her very core. It was as if he was freezing her solid with a single look.

"Ninjago is in danger." He finally spoke. "The Overlord has returned and is intent on destroying Ninjago, am I correct?" Zane asked her, despite knowing he was.

Sally only nodded, shivering.

"Then we mustn't dally further." Zane says as he stood, surprising Sally when his bed of snow slid off the platform of ice, the frozen substance becoming apart of his white ankle length jacket's hood and apart of the top of his white boots.

Sally tried to find an explanation in her mind to figure out how snow became fur that had a blue undertone but she came up empty. She was left to follow as Zane walked by, going up the steps that lead to the original part of his home and further still, his white, heavy winter boots leaving ice in his wake Sally made sure to avoid. He was the real deal, wasn't he? An actual god… Zane opened the door and smiled to himself once he was greeted by his brother all but tackling him into a hug.

"You're awake! And looking better than ever." Echo says with a smile as he pulled back, unphased by the frost and snow on his person from his hug.

"Thank you." Zane says fondly to both he and Tai-D and Echo smiled softly at the true weight of his thanks.

"I would do it all again in a heartbeat." He told him quietly then gave a sheepish smile. "Though over the years, we've gathered quite the collection of trespassers. Including Sally's friends." Echo told his brother who huffed in amusement, already knowing this, sensing them all frozen in his ice.

"Don't worry about them. They will be free momentarily." Zane says as he walked by Echo to where the Falcon was, unphased by the massive difference in his size from when he last saw him. "For now, I need you, Tai-D and the Falcon to go to New Ninjago City and slow the Overlord down while Sally, her team and I find the others." He says as he stroked the Falcon's head once he lowered it for him.

"Of course." Echo nodded as he walked over.

He then leapt up on the Falcon's back between its wings and looked down at Sally.

"The best of luck to you." Echo told her then patted the Falcon's back, prompting him to fly.

Sally shielded her eyes from the wind and snow the flapping of the Falcon's wings picked up then watched as they flew off.

"Come on." Sally looked up at Zane when she spoke then nodded.

__

By the time they got back to the others, they were freshly defrosted.

"What happened?" Brad asked, rubbing his arms.

"Please forgive my Falcon and brother." Zane spoke up as he approached with Sally, surprising the group. "They've been tasked to watch over me while I slept." He told them as he walked by, going directly to Nelson who was still unconscious from his place with his head in Jake's lap.

He then stooped before a wide eyed Jake and pressed two fingers against the back of Nelson's neck. A snowflake like pattern glowed there before Nelson began to stir. Only once he blinked his eyes open did Zane rise again. Nelson stared with wide eyes as snowflakes from his aura drifted down on him.

"I know you are all recovering but we must find the others, starting with Kai. I feel the Overlord and he is indeed powerful. Far more than he's ever been. We will need all of us to take him down. For good." Zane spoke as they all got to their feet.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Jake spoke up and his team nodded determinedly.

Zane followed after them as they headed back to the Bounty, feeling nostalgic as he did.

____

"God I miss the sun." Antonia sighed as she rubbed her arms aboard the ship as they made their way to the Forest of Fortitude.

"I'm afraid I can't do much about the sun but Kai will be able to warm you up." Zane responded and Antonia sputters for a moment.

"I'm not sure if you're joking or serious." She says, looking across at the supposed god of ice.

"A little of both." Zane admitted with a small smile and Antonia huffed out a bit of laughter.

Well. It's nice to know he has some sense of humour.

"Are you truly a god?" Gene asked from his place steering the ship, taking a longer route to avoid coming in contact with New Ninjago City prematurely. "Because logic says otherwise. After all, while you were made, you aren't invincible like gods are supposed to be. You've been injured before and even killed at one point. Sure you came back but that's because you're a Nindroid. You're always rebuildable. But-"

"Who says a god has to be invincible? Who even says I am indeed such a thing? Our knowledge from the term 'god' comes from our own imaginations turned belief. It comes from signs and happenings of the past, present and future we cannot comprehend so we simply chalk them up to a divine entity. Certainly there may be such a thing as a higher being but it's not the same as our definition of a god. The reality of things is often very different from our expectations after all." Zane told him and Gene opened and closed his mouth a few times then paused to ponder.

"This is getting deeper than I can understand." Nelson admits, being one of few that never really considered things like that.

"That's alright. Don't trouble yourself with something as superficial as labels." Zane reassured him.

"Forest of Tranquility ahead." Gene announced and they all looked ahead to see the massive trees of the forest.

"Will you be alright through? Ice and fire doesn't usually get along." Nelson asked him.

"I will be fine. Neither Kai's nor any fire can harm me." Zane reassured then looked to the excited teen that was Jake who could hardly stand still. "A fan of Kai's?" He asked as he approached and Jake blinked up at him then nodded eagerly.

"He's my favourite ninja! Has always been since I was a kid and now I get to finally meet him!" Jake told him eagerly.

"You're still a kid though." Brad pointed out with a smirk and Jake glared at him.

"I'm 14!" Jake yelled at him and Brad huffed.

"I take it that we're here?" Gene says questioningly as he spotted what looks like a volcano at the heart of the forest, only, it appeared dormant.

This was where the Temple of Fire was supposed to be. Yet here it was, without a single flame in sight, the volcano it was made apart of completely dormant. Almost dead.

"Correct." Zane says as Gene began the tight process of parking right between the forest and the bridge leading to the temple of fire.

Once they did, low growls sounded from the temple.

"I don't like the sound of that…" Gene says warily as they all hopped out of the ship, Zane settling to hover just an inch off the ground.

From the dark mouth of the temple, three sets of glowing eyes opened as the growls grew louder.

"Woah. Those are some big eyes. Uh. They know you, right? We'll be alright… Right?" Brad asked Zane as he watched as a blue snout emerge from the temple, the rest of the dragon's large body emerging shortly after.

"That isn't the case. I may know these dragons personally but they won't be partial to me or anyone. Our only option is to awaken Kai. Heath, Flare, Solaris and Spark won't stop attacking us until we're gone or worse." Zane told them as the orange and red dragon also emerged.

"But you can take them, right?" Nelson asked him.

"It's not as easy as you think. Not only are they smart, these dragons are very dear to Kai. I won't harm them fatally." Zane told them, watching as Heath, the blue dragon gathered his blue fire in his mouth.

"It might do us good to not stand before the Bounty." Sally says and without further prompting, Zane erected a wall of ice before it.

"Run." He warned them once Heath let his fire loose.

They quickly scrambled out of the way as Zane took the blow head on, the blue flames clearing to reveal a near holographic snowflake shield that erected itself before him.

"Get inside the temple. I'll keep the three of them distracted." Zane told them then flew in, drawing their attention.

Flare blasted his red it fire at Zane and he fast forward time on himself, darting around the fire to lightly pat his then flying back out, irritating the dragon. For him to be  _ teased _ like this while protecting their master, their creator… The dragon growled threateningly, snapping his flame filled maw at the ice god. While Zane did that, lured them off the bridge, the team moved in closer.

"How do we even 'awaken Kai'? Just give him a shove?" Antonia whispered as they got closer to the bridge.

"It's not that easy." Sally whispered as they watched Zane lure the dragons even further away. "We have to pass some kind of moral test." She told them as they took their chance and darted across the bridge.

"Moral- seriously?!" Gene whisper-yelled as they ran as fast as their feet could carry them before quickly hiding along the walls of the fire temple to make sure they weren't spotted. "We don't have the  _ time _ for that! Who knows how long this  _ 'test' _ will take! Honestly this has passed ridiculous!" He huffed as they looked around.

"Yeah? Well we don't have much of a choice now do we?” Nelson grinned as he approached the high pyramid shaped structure before them. "I'm pretty sure he's up there." He says as the others stepped up next to him.

"Aside from the obvious, something's off here." Gene spoke up as he rubbed his chin.

Jake wandered around the structure in awe before his eyes widened once he spotted a yellow tail slip around the other side.

"What could possibly be off here?" Brad says sarcastically.

"The legends I heard from this area said that there was a four headed beast which most likely means four dragons. Zane also listed off four names for the dragons, confirming that. So then…" Gene says, looking up at the pyramid. "Where's the-" A fierce growl cut Gene off and the group whirled around to see the fourth, golden dragon approaching, her maw glowing with yellow fire.

Jake on the other hand heard the growl from the other side of the pyramid and went to help when-

"Hey kid." A voice called and Jake looked back- only to have his jaw drop at the sight before him.

"Y-you're-! Y-you're-!" Jake got out, eyes shining with excitement at the fire ninja grinning at him.

"The one and only." Kai grinned walking over to ruffle the kid's hair. "So you're a big fan of mine, huh?" He asked and Jake nodded quickly, smile so wide his cheeks hurt.

"Yeah! You're the best ninja out of the bunch! The way you use your powers is so cool!" Jake gushed and Kai chuckled, preening under the attention.

"Jake?! Where are you?!" Jake's head snapped up at Nelson's voice.

"Don't worry about them " Kai huffed, even as a roar followed his statement. "Why don't you stick around with me, hmm?" He says with a grin and Jake's eyes absolutely shone- then he froze.

"But my friends!" Jake yelled, running out from behind the pyramid, gasping as he saw the gold dragon backing them out, blasting it's fire threateningly as they quickly jumped back out of the way.

Another growl sounded and the group whirled around, eyes wide to see the other dragons there, effectively trapping them.

"Guys!" He yelled fearfully, mind scrambling to think of a way to save them.

"They're fine." Kai told him, walking over to his side again, his hands tucked in his pockets. "The dragons will only rough them up a bit then escort them out to make sure they don't come back. Forget about them. Come with me. You're a pretty special kid you know. Let's hang out." He told him and Jake frowned.

"But… Why can't the others come hang out too?" Jake asked, turning around to look at him.

"They're lame. Uncool. They'd only drag us down. Forget about those losers." Kai says with a sneer then smirked. "Come with me… And not only will you be my partner, but I'll give you a piece of my power. I'll make you the next master of fire." He says, extending his hand where a red and orange flame flickered.

Jake stared with wide eyes, the fire reflecting in them as he took a moment to awe at it and the opportunity presented to him. He however looked back at his terrified friends as the dragons snared threateningly at them, closing in with fire growing hotter in their maws.

"When you're the new fire ninja, you won't need them. You'll have way more friends than those five." Kai spoke again.

Jake then looked back at Kai then the flame in his hand. He reached out, reaching for the flame- but smacked Kai's hand away, glaring at him with angry flames burning in his eyes.

"I'd never leave my friends behind! Ninja stick together!" Jake yelled at him then turned around and ran towards his friends, activating his Spinjitzu.

Kai closed his hand, the flame disappearing as he started to fade away to nothing but embers.

"Not bad kid…" He spoke, voice fading away.

Jake charged at the dragons with his Spinjitzu then came to a halt once they all turned towards him. He watched with wide eyes as one by one, they laid down before him.

"What's going on? Why did they suddenly back off?" Brad asked, confused.

"Jake passed Kai's test." Zane says, appearing next to them in a plume of shadow.

"When? How? He was just standing there!" Gene says, confused.

A loud crack interrupted them however. They all looked towards the top of the pyramid, the sounds of both quiet and loud cracking filling the silence. After a moment, it all stopped. Then, just seconds after, they watched as fire embers rose up and disappeared. Zane smiled then allowed himself to float to the top where Kai had taken his first breath in almost 8 years.

"Time to wake up Kai. You've slept long enough." Zane says quietly and Kai blinked glowing red orange eyes open, both focusing on Zane.

The fire god smirked.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Kai huffed them sat up slowly, then closed hide eyes, taking a moment to let his body fully revive, feeling warmth flow through him again.

This time when he opened his eyes, not only did five different coloured flames appear around his head and shoulders, but the volcano itself suddenly awakened in a flash of bright orange light, magma and lava alike glowing and bubbling through the temple.

"I don't need to fill you in…" Zane began as he floated back a bit, giving Kai space to stand.

"Overlord's back throwing a tantrum huh." Kai huffed, rolling his shoulders and flames rolled down his bare back, giving way to his usual red cape, this time with blended furs of orange and gold lining it, the same true for his boots. "Which means we should wake Cole and the others pretty soon. But first…" Kai says, hopping down from his pyramid, landing before the awed group, his cape fluttering down after him.

"Heath! Spark! Flare! Solaris!" He called and all four dragons perked up then bounded over to him like excitable puppies.

Very big puppies.

Kai laughed as he was tackled to the ground, all of them nuzzling and licking as much of him as they could as they purred up a storm.

"He’s been asleep for almost 8 years yet he hasn’t aged a day it seems…" Gene whispered to himself as they watch him take a moment to reconnect with his dragons.

"They’re called gods for a reason I suppose." Antonia says, marveled herself.

"I missed you guys too! Look how big you've all gotten!" Kai grinned, awing at them and they all preened under the attention. "Thanks for looking out for me." He says softly, stroking each of their heads.

"I have an important mission for all of you already though. You know what it is." He told them and all four of them nodded. "I'm counting on you guys." He says then sat up and watched as they all headed out the temple entrance, taking air right after.

"Now, let's go." Zane told the group of ninja standing there, watching them.

All of them felt as if this was a lucid dream but only half of them thought it was the good kind.

"Back to the ship?" Nelson asked after a moment and Kai laughed, the movement of his laughter shaking the long, rectangular gold earrings he wore in both ears.

"Of course not." Kai grinned, placing a hand on his hip. "Now we have to awaken Cole. He resides in the Underworld." He told them and their eyes widened.

"A whole nother realm?! But- how will we get there?! You already sent off your dragons!" Gene protested.

"Through a back door." Kai says with a grin, flashing white fangs. "Follow us." He told them and he and Zane headed deeper into the temple.

The team looked at each other before shrugging and doing so. They might as well. It's not like they were the gods here. Or in Zane's terms, higher beings.

"Why can't you guys take things from here though?" Brad spoke up.

"Because we can't pass the tests set out, the ones necessary to awaken us. Only you 6 can." Kai says as he began going down a flight of stars to the lower part of the temple.

"It's not that we don't have the capacity to, it's just how we've arranged things. After all, it wasn't as if we would have needed to awaken each other. If not for this threat, we would have awoken on our own, simultaneously. For now, hold patience. The tunnel you all travel may be long and dark but the light at the end will find you soon." Zane encouraged them.

"You remind me of Sensei." Nelson laughed but then his smile fell, remembering that their Sensei was gravely injured.

Both gods spotted the sudden decline in his mood and sensed the sorrow and worry he held.

"... Sensei Wu is gravely injured, correct?" Zane asked them and they nodded. "Such a thing is never a pleasant experience for both sides: the one receiving and those who are left to watch. But our Sensei is not a man to be underestimated. He will be fine." He reassured them as they came up to large double doors of silver, gold and obsidian.

Kai walked up to it then pushed them open with a single hand.

"Here we are." He says, walking through and the group blinked.

"... That's it?" Sally says, surprised.

"Right? I was expecting some kind of glowing portal or something behind these doors." Antonia says, crossing her arms as they followed behind.

"There may not be a glowing portal or any spectacles of wonder but there certainly is the Skulkin Army protecting Cole's resting spot." Kai hummed, tucking his hands into his pockets casually.

"I'm sorry. Did he just say an  _ army _ ?" Brad asked with wide eyes.

"Don't concern yourself." Gene dismissed. "While the Skulkin Army have their numbers, they're hardly considered as such. They're a rather clumsy and downright silly species." He told them and they relaxed- only to tense all over again when both gods chuckled to themselves.

"They used to be." Zane told them as they came to a stop at the edge of a ledge leading down to a bottomless drop.

"But Cole taught them a few things and… We might have helped." Kai says as the group looked ahead, eyes widening at the sight of the Underworld Temple- surrounded by Skulkin idly chatting, guarding and a few- training.

Thing is, just by looking from this distance, there were sure to be at least fifty there, even more of them on the high rock platforms scattered throughout the area.

"And these guys won't hold back on us either, right?" Antonia asked them.

"Not in the slightest." Zane confirmed. "They will try to get us to leave at first and if that fails…" He left the rest of his statement to their imagination.

"But the threat's not just on the ground." Kai spoke up and they blinked at him then looked up.

A shiver of horror ran down Gene's back at the sight of huge spider-like creatures lingering around the stalactites of the Underworld. They all swallowed. What kind of nightmare trip is this?! A yell from one of the Skulkin made it clear they were spotted.

"We need to move. Now." Zane says as he took up a defensive posture.

"How?! We can't float like you guys can! Not to mention take on an entire army!" Brad yelled as he watched said army prepare  _ catapults _ of all things.

"You haven't been taught Airjitzu as yet?" Kai asked, surprised.

"No. We were supposed to be taught today but then the Overlord attacking New Ninjago City happened." Sally told them.

"Well in that case, Zane give them a quick crash course. I'll cover you." Kai told him and Zane nods, leaving his friend to take off, gathering flames in his palms.

"Wait- you guys want us to learn Airjitzu now?!" Nelson asked, shocked.

"Yes. As ninja, you will need to learn and adapt, even in the most chaotic of circumstances. Otherwise, you will fail." Zane told them seriously then relaxed a bit, even as plumes of fire brightened up his back. "Now, let's work quickly, shall we?" He says in a lighter tone.

What choice did they have really?

Meanwhile, Kai reduced a boulder tossed at Zane and the new ninja to rock vapor with a concentrated shot of heat. He grinned as he looked down at the army from his place floating above them all. During his 7 year slumber, his powers have honed and sharpened. They’ve become even more flexible and using them was as smooth and easy as breathing. With the strengthening of his powers, the possibilities are endless. He glanced back at Zane, seeing him lecturing the ninja and adjusting their postures. They’re an amazing batch. He was sure they could do it in no time. Kai threw a fist at the next boulder thrown his way, the impact shattering the material like glass. He then spun around through the rock fragments to kick the other and using his fire to melt the next.

Zane looked up then, sensing the rock fragments falling in their direction and erected a half dome of ice to protect the ninja from being pelted by them.

“Keep going. Focus.” Zane encouraged the group as they struggled to get off the ground.

Kai watched the Skulkin carefully as they began to change tactics. He could level them all with a thought but he'd rather not instantly drive the Skulkin to extinction. He had to lessen the heat of his fire considerably while attacking them directly, just enough to stun them. Skulkin were undead after all. They lacked the means to heal and recover from his burns. Kai glanced up at the Spykors that were smart enough to know that they can't attack him without getting badly burned, even with his fire at its lowest level. That didn’t stop them from seeking out any weak spot he may have however. Unfortunately for them, he had none.

“Here I go!” Nelson huffed then focused on the high stalactite they were tasked to reach.

He jumped, twisting his body as he imagined currents of air wrapping around him, pushing him high up, the stalactite getting closer and closer. He reached out to touch it, his finger brushing it and he grinned- only for it to fall as  _ he _ began to fall.

“W-woah!” Nelson yelled as he flailed then grunted once he was caught. “Thanks.” He grinned up at Zane who only smiled and set him down.

“That was good. You had it. Just remember to keep focus for now, until you’re used to it." Zane praised.

"Uh, Zane?" Kai spoke up and the ice god glanced back at him curiously. "We're out of time." He says as he looked down into the abyss where glowing, green slitted eyes opened.

A roar echoed then, shaking all that was the Underworld. Zane stood on alert.

"We have no choice." He says then turned to the ninja as Cole's dragon, Boulder began to climb his way up to the surface. "I'll take you all to the inner platform. It's not guaranteed we will be able to catch you when you fall so try not to." He warned them as he urged them to come closer.

"Prepare to fight." He warned them before shadows swallowed then, spitting them out again in the middle of the Skulkin surrounding the temple, just as the dragon emerged.

It rose higher and higher, its skin looking hard and rocky, much like the element its creator was born to command. Kai watched as his ominously glowing green eyes lock on him then narrow. The god of fire smirked. He's gotten really big. Even more than Heath who was fractionally larger than his siblings. Kai grinned widely as the dragon gathered yellow-orange light in his maw. Cole is gonna flip.

Meanwhile, Nelson found himself and the rest of the team totally surrounded by armored, completely upgraded Skulkin who were closing in on them. They could fight, even with the Skilkin's upgrade in fighting skills and and armory. The problem was, they would be defeated eventually. Sure they may have two gods on their side but they refuse to harm the Skulkin and that massive dragon giving Kai a Chase critically. The only way they could make it past this was by passing Cole's test. But how? And who?

"Well? Are we gonna fight or what?" Antonia spoke up, cracking her knuckles and the others looked at each other.

"We don't have much of a choice. Considering that Cole was and probably still is the strongest of the group, the fight might be a test for one of us." Gene says as he took a tired looking fighting stance. "Whoever gets the test make it quick." He sighed.

"Good of you to finally reach a decision. This fight is yours after all. I am only an aid." Zane says lightly, despite being the only one attacking at the moment, freezing the legs of the Skulkin before him so they were stuck.

That is, until they started chipping away at the idea with their weapons.

"Let's do it!" Nelson says determinedly.

"Ninja go!" They yelled, using their Spinjitzu to charge into the fray, sending bones flying as they did.

"Ha! These boneheads aren't hard to take down at all!" Brad yelled with a grin from his Spinjitzu cyclone, taking down each and every single Skulkin that crossed his path.

"I agree. This is almost too easy." Gene says as he zipped by, taking out a large group of them. 

"Don't let overconfidence get the best of you." Zane warned as he floated overhead, using his ice powers to freeze clustered groups of Skulkin but only briefly as other Skulkin broke them out.

This was one of the things they taught them: teamwork. They still aren't very strong single handedly but as a group, they could take down almost any foe. He could see it. See them lure the ninja further and further apart by grouping together in certain areas while also giving those taken apart the chance to rebuild themselves. A loud roar caught Zane's attention and he looked to where Kai was blocking an attack from Boulder, his fire shield melting the sand and rock he spat at him. Boulder took the chance to swipe at Kai while he was distracted but Kai saw it coming, quickly flying back while keeping his shield up. He was fine. He could take Boulder. Zane cast his eyes to the temple, seeing where Cole slept on the highest floor, entombed in bedrock. Who will you choose? Zane leaned to the left, avoiding a large boulder tossed his way then looked both ways seeing new groups of Skulkin manning the catapults on distant islands. Looks like it's time.

Sally was suspicious. After all that talk of training them, she expected much more than this from their fight. They went down faster than a house of cards every time. Either they've suddenly gotten stronger… Or they're planning something. Sally spun to a stop, looking around suspiciously- only to gasp once she realised she was surrounded, the Skulkin she defeated priorly rebuilding themselves quickly. She gritted her teeth then charged with her Spinjitzu- only to be immediately thrown back with a well aimed hit. She grunted once she hit the ground but was quick to get to her feet, taking a defensive stance. They stopped her Spinjitzu with a single hit. They were way tougher than she expected and being surrounded by this many… She needs backup.

She looked between the Skulkin, trying to see who was closest to her- then she realised. None of them were close to her or even in sight. None of them were visible in the swarm of Skulkin protecting their leader. This was their plan! Isolate and take down! How could they have been so foolish! Worse still, they were forcing her back to the ledge of the island that held the temple, where a drop that could certainly kill was waiting. This is bad. This is  _ very _ bad!

The other ninja found themselves in the same situation, surrounded and about to walk back to a drop they would have no means of recovering from. They fought hard but for a pile of bones, the Skulkin were tough. They didn't budge and even if they did, more Skulkin would take their place as the others rebuilt themselves and rejoined. Antonia gritted her teeth as she ended up at the every edge of the ledge, glaring at the Skulkin. She had to get out of this situation. She looked back once the edge of the ledge began to crumble. And fast! She looked over the Skulkin critically then smirked.

"Ninja go!" She yelled, charging with her Spinjitzu- then jumping once they held their swords and bone weapons out.

She used a sword as leverage and jumped again, vaulting herself over their heads.

"It's gonna take more than some half baked plan to take me down." Antonia huffed, poised and ready to fight.

They may have trained these pile of bones but she only needs to hold them back long enough for one of the others to-

"That might be true but it's just enough to take your friends down." Nukal, one of the two generals of the Skulkin Army says in a sing-song tone and Antonia paled then looked around.

True to his word, the other ninja, her friends were in the same position as she once was, fighting desperately to escape the ring of Skulkin surrounding them, at least 20 strong each.

"Any second now, they'll be human pancakes and you'll be no trouble to take down." Nukal smirks as he stepped forward and Antonia gritted her teeth then punched him, sending his head spinning.

She ran before he could recover, skidding to a halt once she realised something. There were 5 of them about to fall. How would she save them all? One or two wasn't enough and the Skulkin were too strong. By the time she would break a ring, all of them would have fallen. She swallowed thickly as her hand began to sweat. She had to think and think fast! Her friends would die if she doesn't! Her head jolted up as the dragons' roar caught her attention. The gods! She turned around to yell for their help but froze to see them both busy preventing both dragon and boulders from the further stationed Skulkin from reaching them.

If she prevents them from keeping them busy, both of their assaults would be focused here and that would be even worse. Come on! Come on! She looked around frantically then froze, looking at the stalactites hanging above. They were set in such an odd way. An idea hit her. Risky and completely dangerous but it had to work. She only had a few seconds at most before her friends were goners. She turned around, running away from them, towards where Kai was playing a game of dodge that was irritating the dragon even more than it was. But it was a good strategy. It was bound to keep its attention on him. Perfect. She ran towards the edge of the ledge, heart pounding in her chest. Here goes nothing! She couldn't hold back a yell as she leapt off the ledge, immediately beginning to fall.

"Focus! You can do it!" She yelled at herself over the rushing wind. "Ninja!... Go!" She yelled and in a burst of air, a translucent vortex appeared under her the same time an org of the same translucency.

Her eyes widened as she started to go up quickly. She didn't have a moment to celebrate. This was the least deadly part of her plan. She headed directly for the dragon, landing on its head as it charged another attack in its mouth for Kai who looked at her in surprise.

"Lights…" Antonia whispered, scooting down a bit on the dragon's head in a seated position. "Out!" She yelled, swinging her heels hard downwards, kicking the dragon in its right eye, yelling as it roared, rearing up and blasting its attack: right at the roof of the cave like space.

The entire space rumbled with the force of the attack, gaining the attention of the Skulkin. Antonia watched as she gripped the dragon's rocky hide at the side of its face as the stalactites began crumbling down, scattering the Spykors that were there observing. Seeing the stalactites falling down on them, the Skulkin attempted to run but they were too fast, getting crushed under the spikes and rubble that followed. The ninja below were quick to dart away from the edge of the ledge- all but Brad that is. He ended up slipping on some residual ice left from Zane's original attacks and slipped off the ledge.

"BRAD!" They all yelled but startled once Brad reappeared on a column of rock that kept growing in height.

"What…?" Jake whispered in awe as the rock stopped just at the perfect level of the central island of the underworld.

"You've succeeded." Kai says with a grin and Antonia blinked as the dragon, far more tame than she recalled, lowered itself to the island too.

"Succeeded? What do you mean?" Antonia asked as she slipped off of the suddenly docile dragon.

"You've passed Cole's test." Zane helpfully supplied. "He's waking up." He spoke, lifting his head towards the temple.

Antonia stood there in shock as Kai and Zane took off to the temple, her friends rushing over.

"What was that all about? What happened here?" Nelson asked her as Sally placed a hand on her shoulder, giving a concerned look.

Antonia stood there for a moment longer… Then tightened her fist.

"What kind of bull is this?! A test?! A test?!" She suddenly exploded, rage filling her. "My friends and I almost died, all for some stupid test?!" She yelled.

"I agree. It's ridiculous." Gene says, crossing his arms in irritation. "This is only getting harder and harder. The danger rises with each ninja we revive. Are these tests even necessary? Time is already a thing we don't have and these tests are soaking it all up." He says with a frown.

"Why do we even bother?" Brad asked with an angry huff, not pleased to know he almost wet himself from that fall for nothing.

"Because Sensei Wu asked us to." Nelson spoke up, determination on his face. "Sensei Wu may be a cryptic man but I have a feeling he wouldn't send us after the ninja unless he was certain no other but they can defeat the Overlord. And they have all rights to these tests, no matter how dire the situation. They've hardly even scratched the surface of their powers, I can tell. Do you know what any other person would do if they could freely awaken them at will?" He pointed out but Antonia, Brad and Gene weren't moved at all.

"... Imagine angering them." Sally says quietly and they all stiffened at that. "Could you imagine if they hadn't set up all these tests, if someone woke them from sleep for their evil doings and greed? Could you imagine what havoc that person could have wreaked on all of Ninjago? from just one of them? What the Overlord is doing now would seem like a blessing. I say we should be grateful. Take each test without a single thought to complain. Though they may be on our side right now, I'd rather not irritate them with complaints." She says solemnly and they nodded, cold sweat on the back of Brad's next just thinking about what chaos would befall everyone at their anger.

Nelson wanted to say that wasn't so, that they wouldn't hurt anyone but he remembered those days where explosive lightning made the world dark for the first time in hundreds of years, of the day of the red sun, of the tsunami that almost engulfed the entire city, that still claimed thousands of lives, of the frigid cold that made tales of ice ages seem like nothing but a bedtime story, of the quake that ripped Ninjago to pieces. He was sure he would die before he saw the end of it all. The ninja, Lloyd will always be his idols but not even he wanted to run the risk of angering them.

"Sad, isn't it?" Cole says softly from the balcony of his temple, hearing everything they were speaking of, seeing their energies of fear for them.

"But understandable." Zane says, glancing at the blacknette who wore a hooded cloak of black, a black tank top underneath along with black jeans and black combat boots.

He had a softly glowing aura of yellow-orange around his head and shoulders, much like his right eye. His left was green along with his scar from his time as a ghost. Both fire and ice gods wondered if it meant what they think it did.

"We can't change the past or the mind of others." Kai says with a sigh then gave his friends a wistful smile. "We better keep the ball rolling. Time is of the essence." He says, floating up.

Both Cole and Zane nodded before they took to the air, landing behind the group. The moment their feet touched the ground, a very low rumble started as ice and fire settled around Zane and Kai's feet respectively. The group looked at them then past them I awe as the fallen stalactites lifted themselves from the ground, floating up back tk the ceiling and reattaching as if they had never been bothered to begin with. The Skulkin began to rise again, helping each other out with rebuilding themselves but they showed no interest in the group now that their leader was awake. Watching everything repair itself as it does… Was awing... Cole on the other hand was also focused on other things. He grinned then floated up towards his very big dragon whom was eagerly wagging its tail as his creator approached.

"Boulder buddy! Look at you!" Cole grinned widely and the large dragon huffed, shifting his wings and wagging his tail happily. "Ahhh come here you big lug!" He laughed, hugging his dragon's snout, smiling widely one he began purring. 

"I missed you too bud." Cole said softly, stroking his muzzle. "But no time for a proper reunion. You know what to do." He says and Boulder huffed then spread his wings, flying up then, towards one of many caverns at high speed, spinning rapidly as he did then flashing out of the underworld.

"Alright. Nya's next." Cole says, turning towards the group. "And knowing her, it won't be an easy task to wake her." He adds, wondering who or what she chose as her guardian.

She had told them it was a surprise and they would find out on their own before they all succumbed to sleep.

"Indeed. Nya does like to challenge after all." Zane says fondly.

"Almost eight years…" Kai says softly, realising how long it's been since he's seen his sister.

He then smiled.

"I can hardly wait. But we'll have to for a bit." He says, startling the group of ninja.

"What? Why?" Jake asked Kai.

"Word on the street is that not all of you ninja have learned Airjitzu yet." Cole spoke up, a grin on his face and the group deflates.

"So when you're able to use Airjitzu to get to the exit, then we can leave." Zane told them and he could sense their wanting to protest. "This isn't for fun. None of us have any idea where Jay is resting. We do know that he's often skybound so where he's currently residing will need for you to move freely in the air." He explained to them.

"He won't make it easy to get to him so I doubt the Bounty will be able to get there." Kai says, crossing his hands. "Now get to it. Time waits on only one person and he won't let it." He says, gesturing to a softly smiling Zane.

Nelson looked at his deflated friends with a grin.

"Come on. Let's show them what we ninja can do." He says confidently and Antonia smirked.

"You heard him. Let's do it." She agrees.

"Yeah!" Jake grinned then took off running.

"Wait not this second!" Nelson yelled after him but Jake didn't stop, jumping off the ledge with utter confidence.

There was a heart pounding second of Jake falling but he suddenly rocketed up, Airjitzu cyclone carrying him towards the ledge and dropping him there on his feet.

"I did it!" He yelled and the group have a collective sigh of relief.

"Let's go then. Our turn." Nelson says to the others and they nodded.

With that, they collectively charged towards the ledge.

"Ninja go!"

**Author's Note:**

> I'll get started on the last part but this was fun to write! Thanks for reading!


End file.
